


Find me again

by Jupiter2012 (orphan_account)



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, coffee shop!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 17:33:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11994621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Jupiter2012
Summary: Tony's an unattached street kid. Clay's both the eleventh tape and keeper of the second set. They meet in a coffee shop.





	Find me again

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!

Tony gapes at the bill. Twelve dollars? For a medium coffee and a bagel? He fingers the wrinkled five dollar note tucked into his jeans. He didn’t think coffee at this cozy looking cafè would be this expensive, and the rest of his cash is stashed in a flimsy tin can under the floorboards of his foster home. In his other pocket, there's nothing but a half-chewed pack of gum and a broken newspaper elastic. He sighs, spotting the pompous looking rich kid waiter start to stroll his way. Deciding to play it cool, he grabs his bag casually, slinging it around his shoulder as he sips down the last drops of coffee. Then he sticks the gum under the five, puts them both in the centre of the bill tray, and gets up smoothly from his seat, heading nonchalantly towards the door. “Hey- you haven't paid it all,” the brunette- neat, close cropped- waiter starts at him, evidently expecting him to slow down, apologize fussily and then pull the rest of the money out of his ass. He doesn't reply, marching determinedly towards the exit. “Hey!” The shout is a little louder this time. Other customers start to turn and stare at the altercation. It’s okay, he’s at the door already. Tony breaks into a jog as he exits the cafè- Monèt’s it’s called- and starts to run up the street. To his surprise, the boy follows him out the glass chime-door, shouting incessantly. Tony picks up speed, feet thudding against pavement, heading for the heavy traffic area of the city. “Fuck you! Don’t come back,” the skinny white kid yells at him furiously. Tony laughs heavily even though his chest is burning a little bit, and turns around to face the other across the street with a winning smile. Two raised middle fingers on his end meet an appalled expression from the overbearing waiter on the other side of the street. And then Tony’s hopped onto the nearest bus (to wherever), and the skinny kid and the cafè are both gone.

 

* * *

 

He shivers, pulling the thin fleece tighter around himself. Nightimes are beginning to get colder and colder now that summer's over. There’s just about enough to live by on tucked into his black Herschel backpack. Always a few bagels or something, a bit of cash from doing odd jobs, changes of clothing and scarce toiletries. The rest of his stuff is hidden out of sight back in the cramped back room he’s been given by his foster family. It’s where he stashes the cash he earns from working at the auto shop on the other side of town. This doesn’t matter though, because he escapes that shitty house enough nights a week to qualify as practically homeless, and usually has to sneak back inside to stock or deplete his stash. It doesn’t worry him too much. He’s seventeen. When he turns eighteen and he gets out of the system, he’ll figure it out.

 

* * *

 

Tony realizes he’s fucked up two days later. He’s walking towards the phone booth next to the bridge he’s been sleeping under, and he realizes he doesn't remember what to dial. He curses liberally under his breath. The number- the phone number to call his brother Julian just * _happened_ * to be written on the inside of that same pack of gum he so charitably gave away at Monèt’s last week. He sighs, staring at the engraved numbers of the dial. He really doesn't want to go back and chase down that prissy rich kid waiter. And anyway, it's really unlikely he’ll find it again.

But he doesn't want to wait five months until Julian is able to visit him. He doesn't think he can last that long.

 

* * *

 

He has to pick the lock to get back into the house and grab his cell phone and another set of clothes; they’re items he hasn’t seen in a good month. He looks half decent now, though, having the mind to grab Julian’s old jacket. The coffee shop isn't hard to find again. He runs his hands over the aged leather as he pushes open the glass door to the cafè.Tony spots the waiter from last time quickly. It isn’t hard, he’s standing in the corner staring blankly at an order, arms crossed haughtily. Tony hesitates. He doesn’t want to ruin his chances of getting his shit back. Walking up to the waiter, he very politely asks “Hello. I think I left a pack of gum back here a few days ago. Do you know where I could find it?”

The brunette turns, recognition flashing comically across his face, “Didn’t I tell you not to come back here?” He says pompously.

“The pack of gum I left here last time. I need it back. ” Tony repeats. After a silence, he adds a “Please.”

“Well, I don’t have it."

“There was a number on it that I needed.” Tony’s trying to keep the panic out of his voice. The white kid’s eyes slide down to Tony’s scuffed shoes, irritated.To his immense surprise, the waiter just huffs in annoyance, and fumbles in his back pocket. A pale hand pulls out the gum and hands it to Tony. He flips it and sees the number in his brother's loopy writing safe on the backside. Thank god.

“Thank you…” Tony trails off.

“Clay Jensen.” Another frown. 

“Thank you.” He repeats, painfully aware of the gratitude audible in his own voice.

Jensen just nods with the air of someone who has better things to be doing. “Pay in full next time,” he snaps offhandedly. Tony isn’t about to admit he’s got most ten dollars to his name right now, and he needs to save it for the bus. 

“Well, Jensen? Guess what? Your coffee is way-the-fuck overpriced,” he mutters instead. The waiter turns, brows furrowed.

“Well if you couldn’t afford it, don’t buy coffee here then!” The kid snaps back apathetically. 

“How was I supposed to know it as that expensive? No decent person would charge this much for a cup of coffee,” Tony spits, turning around to face him again. 

“Well then don’t come back!” The kid practically yells at him. His blue eyes are icy. 

“I definitely won’t, especially when the people here are as conceited as you,” Tony fires back. He knows he was wrong not to pay but he is sure the fuck not in the mood for this entitled shit. 

The waiter just stares at him, then turns on his heel and stumbles into the back room. _What an uptight asshole,_ Tony thinks. He slams the door hard on the way out.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a review!


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